president obama improved on those numbers slightly in 2008, but still lost both states and his numbers fell off the table, if you will, this past november, the gap nearly doubled to 180,000 in west virginia and he lost kentucky by more than 400,000 votes. but last year, the war on coal had become a familiar theme on billboards, campaign signs and on tv. coal related donors poured more than $12 million into the campaign. 90% of it to republican, believe it or not, but to blame the president's agenda doesn't take in the bigger picture. coal production has dropped because demand is down and easily accessible coal has disappeared. low cost natural gas and fracking threatens to cut them even more. never the less, the politics of the war on coal seems to be solidly on the side of the republicans and senator rockefell rockefeller's retirement creates a prime opportunity for the west virginia gop. shelley cap toe has said she's running and said it will play a role. >> we continue to stand up against the epa's dangerous and unconstitutional crusade to dictate our nation's energy policy to the d